


if you ever leave, it will be your choice, not mine

by RedHoodie1723



Series: Jason Todd and The BatDad [4]
Category: Batman (Comics)
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Bruce Wayne is a Good Parent, Gen, Hugs, Jason Todd is Robin, Light Angst, Scarecrow's Fear Toxin (DCU)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-10
Updated: 2020-09-10
Packaged: 2021-03-06 20:46:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 854
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26395123
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RedHoodie1723/pseuds/RedHoodie1723
Summary: Bruce comforts Jason after an ugly encounter with some Fear Toxin.
Relationships: Jason Todd & Bruce Wayne
Series: Jason Todd and The BatDad [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1410994
Comments: 10
Kudos: 154





	if you ever leave, it will be your choice, not mine

**Author's Note:**

> Semi-inspired by that one RHatO issue with that one quote.

Jason stumbled out of the locker room in the Batcave. His feet dragged as he made his way towards the computer.

Scarecrow escaped Arkham today. The madman wrecked havoc across the city, gassing people left and right until Batman and Robin showed up.

Scarecrow isn’t a particularly good fighter; if it wasn’t for his gas, they could take him out in seconds. But they were forced to keep their distance to avoid the toxin. Not that it mattered in the end.

Jason slipped, lost his footing, and received a puff of fear toxin to the face. Jason didn’t know how the rest of the fight went down, too far stuck in his own mind to take in his surroundings.

Jason flinched, remembering the lucid visions that plagued him until Bruce got him the cure.

He thought he would see Willis with a beer bottle and a belt, or Catherine, needle in her arm and passed out. But what he really saw was so much worse.

He saw Bruce.

The first round of nightmares had Bruce dead, Jason unable to save him or even move. He watched again and again as Bruce fell, his heart no longer beating. But then the nightmares shifted. And Bruce’s anger was directed at him, casting Jason out, abandoning him. Jason felt worthless and… alone.

Jason felt more terrified the second time around because Bruce is Batman: good-hearted and undeserving of death. But Jason is just Jason: weak and imperfect. If Bruce decides one day that Jason isn’t of any use to him anymore, he could fire Jason and Jason wouldn’t be able to do a thing about it.

Jason let out a shaky breath, threading his hands through his dark curls, still damp from the shower.

Bruce sat in front of the batcomputer, still in uniform sans gloves, boots and cowl. Bruce’s head was turned towards the screen, but his eyes were unfocused--a telling sign that his mind was off elsewhere.

Jason tugged the sleeve of the soft sweatshirt he was wearing. It was an old sweater of Bruce’s, too big for Jason, but still of comfort to him. 

“Bruce?” His voice was quiet, but it still echoed off the walls of the cave. Despite having been given the fear toxin vaccine and having taken a long, warm shower, Jason’s voice was still hoarse from screaming and his eyes were puffy and red from crying .

Bruce turned to face Jason. The little creases between his eyebrows indicated he was upset about something. 

“Hey, Jay,” Bruce’s voice was soft as he spoke to Jason. “Are you feeling better?”

Jason shrugged. The fear toxin induced visions briefly flashed through his mind. Jason wanted to tell Bruce he was scared--scared of him getting hurt, scared of rejection--but he refused to let Bruce know it was bothering him. That would just give him another reason to get rid of Jason.

“I’m fine,” Jason lied, voice shaky.

Bruce looked at him a moment, clearly seeing through Jason’s reassurances.

“Jason, you can tell me if something is bothering you, okay? I know the things you experience when gassed with Crane’s toxin can be scary. I've been on the receiving end of it too. This isn’t something you have to deal with alone,” Bruce told him, face both serious and sympathetic.

Jason hesitated, before nodding.

“Can I- can I have a hug?” Jason asked, holding his breath, expecting Bruce to say no. He was being clingy, he shouldn’t have asked. Jason opened his mouth to rescind his request, but Bruce moved first.

He turned the chair so he was facing Jason, and opened his arms. Jason paused before taking a few steps and jumping into Bruce’s arms.

He tucked his face into Bruce’s chest, his hands gripping the soft material of his cape. Bruce hugged Jason and pressed a light kiss to the top of his hair.

Jason let out a sob as he held onto Bruce. Bruce’s hand rubbed soothing circle’s into Jason’s back. The embrace was warm and comforting and Jason momentarily forgot all that had bothered him in the first place.

“I’ve got you, Jaylad. You’re okay,” Bruce told him as Jason gently cried into his chest. “I won’t let you go.”

Jason’s breath hitched at Bruce’s last words. He pulled his face back from where it had been pressed against his father’s chest and looked up at him.

“Promise? Promise you won’t leave me?” Bruce paused, as if surprised, before he pulled Jason back into the hug.

“I’d never leave you Jason, no matter what, I’ll always be here for you,” Bruce said in a tone equal parts chiding and loving. 

“You are my son, and nothing will change that, Jason. I don’t know what you saw while under the toxin’s influence, but it wasn’t true.” Bruce pressed another kiss to the crown of Jason’s head. “I love you.”

A warm feeling ignited in his chest, causing his lips to pull up into a small smile.

Jason relaxed back into the hug, gently tugging Bruce’s cape so it wrapped around him, secure in Bruce’s embrace .

“I love you too.”

**Author's Note:**

> Beta'd by Platanos! Thanks!


End file.
